Why video games are not (yet) smell.

Time and again, on new technologies spectacular discussed the intense gaming experience yet to make. In recent years there has been a lot of smells as a supplement for the game experience is cited. The British researcher Bob Stone is currently investigating the possibilities.

 

British researcher Bob Stone: "world full of sensory stimuli"

A soldier is running somewhere in the Middle East through a market. The weapon in the attack, he must the people in mind and to concentrate on his mission. Only not distracted - from the exotic spices, sweat or his fear of the tires, the nearby burn.

Situations like these are in video games easier to master than in reality. Because the game is limited to our perception of what we see and hear: We are witnessing the environment without their specific odors.

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Love For Games

June 2009

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What impact it would have if we are digital environments could also smell asks Bob Stone of Birmingham University: The researchers, commissioned by the British Defense Ministry has already diverse Serious Games has developed, is currently investigating whether soldiers by scent technologies to better operations can be prepared. "We live in a world full of sensory stimuli, in addition to vision and hearing also Keys, smell and taste to determine how we react to the environment," says Stone. How to behave in the virtual, he wants to with the help of freely available hardware "Scent Palette" check a device about the size of a shoebox.

But the system, embedded in paraffin wax scents with art fans blow in the direction of players, is still not mature: "While we can already smell manually hundreds with scenes related to the 'Far Cry' or' Quest 3D'-based Engine . And, for example, the odor of sewage, burning rubber or explosives solve strong reactions in the trial, "says Stone - but the lab needs to always be free of drafts and the players very close to the smell sit unit. Also could be released fragrances are difficult to replace by new.

THE LARGEST HARDWARE flops HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

Power Glove: The "unbelievable feeling" of the Nintendo Power glove of 1989, it was never set. Due to the lack of precision task is for him only two NES games, more were never programmed.

Virtual-reality glasses: From the hype of the nineties, one hears today only rarely. Despite increasingly sophisticated technology experienced VR glasses never their breakthrough.

Video Game Chair: Major announced today almost exclusively in arcades or GEE editors present: chair with speakers, vibration and beverage holders.

His results are therefore been sobering: "The volunteers did it all in good fun, but their training was not improved." But what of soldiers does not help, might at least make games attractive? Stone is too skeptical: "Is it important that the powder may smell of a gun? Bring one of the odor of a parasite in the game 'Half-Life 2' to jump from the chair - more than the Viecher alone would create ? I do not think so. This is just spectacular, but it very quickly. "

Perhaps he also has another reason right with his doubts: Who wants to know that his room the next morning still under the ruins of bosses smell?